1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing method and image processing apparatus for editing and outputting image data acquired from an input device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As low-cost scanner devices become available, an original can be easily scanned and converted into digital data even at home. Inkjet printers as printing apparatuses have been developed, and even a multifunctional peripheral (MFP) called a multi-function printer capable of not only printing an image, but also scanning an image becomes popular. The user can use a scanner device and printer device to easily copy his originals and contents at home.
An example of contents which improve user's convenience when copied is “sheet music”. In general, the user purchases sheet music as a book. However, it impairs user's convenience to set sheet music purchased as a book directly on a music stand. For example, when the user sets sheet music of many pages directly on a music stand to see a desired page, he must forcibly open the sheet music, damaging the sheet music. To prevent this, a music stand devised to fix sheet music at a desired page is also commercially available. However, such a music stand makes it difficult to turn a page. It is generally cumbersome to turn a page of sheet music during the performance. This work is very troublesome especially during the performance of a musical instrument using both hands, such as the piano.
During the music lesson of the piano or the like, the teacher often writes an instruction directly on sheet music. It is popular to copy sheet music and keep the original clean.
When editing and distributing sheet music of a composition by a user or when editing music composed in response to user's request and distributing it as sheet music, various editing operations are required. For this purpose, a technique for, for example, editing sheet music is disclosed.
To reduce the number of page turns, a musician sometimes arranges and prints a plurality of pages of sheet music on one paper sheet. By using the layout copy function of an MFP, a plurality of pages of sheet music as a purchased book can be arranged and copied on one paper sheet. When sheet music data is saved in a PC, the player can designate layout printing via a printer driver to print a plurality of pages of sheet music on one paper sheet.
The following techniques have been disclosed as patents regarding layout printing and editing of an image such as sheet music.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-144664 discloses a method of dividing a 1-page original image into a predetermined number of output areas, arranging different types of documents in the respective output areas in correspondence with each other, and outputting the documents.
Japanese Patent No. 2879941 discloses a method of resizing a given area represented by a five-line staff of sheet music and laying it out so that the resized area represented by a five-line staff width and five-line staff length becomes homothetic to the given area.
Japanese Patent No. 3169142 discloses a method of designating the boundary between parts of sheet music or that between bars, moving the position of the boundary so that the designated boundary coincides with the screen display, and displaying the sheet music.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 06-149235 and 06-149236 disclose a method of aligning in the lateral direction the left ends of the five-line staffs of simultaneously played parts in accordance with the coordinates of the top and bottom lines of the five-line staffs of the parts.
Sheet music as a general book describes information for a performance based on rules built up through historical development. Sheet music is not convenient for all players. Therefore, a player edits sheet music so as to easily play for himself by, for example, copying sheet music and dividing it into a plurality of paper sheets so as to allow easy page turning, by coloring sheet music, or by writing signs on it. The editing work optimizes sheet music for the player. However, it is very cumbersome for the player to edit sheet music, so demands have arisen for easy editing of sheet music.
FIG. 24 shows a layout when arranging and printing data from four pages on one paper sheet. The user can designate layouts 1-a to 1-h via a UI (User Interface). In FIG. 24, reference numeral 1001 denotes an output; 1002, an image corresponding to data of the first page; 1003, an image corresponding to data of the second page; 1004, an image corresponding to data of the third page; and 1005, an image corresponding to data of the fourth page. The layout 1-a shows that the image 1002 is arranged at the upper left on the output 1001, the image 1003 is arranged at the lower left, the image 1004 is arranged at the upper right, and the image 1005 is arranged at the lower right.
However, this layout printing simply rearranges images corresponding to respective pages for each page. For example, when the output 1001 is sheet music, visibility sometimes becomes poor.